Armed officers swooped on a mid-terrace house in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, shortly before England’s World Cup quarter-final kicked off on Saturday night, arresting a 28-year-old man on suspicion of murdering Ann Widdecombe.
Neighbours in the Kimberworth Park area said around a dozen officers, some armed, surrounded the property and banged “very loudly” on the front door. Courtney Foster, 25, who lives next door, recalled: “We were in the kitchen and just saw the officers running up. There were about 12 officers and quite a few cars. Some were armed.”
“Police arrest 28-year-old man 270 miles from home in Ann Widdecombe murder, say no political motive”
The suspect, a white British man, opened the door and was quickly taken into custody. “He had one officer on either side holding an arm each and then they put him in the back of the marked van,” another resident told police.
Locals described the long-haired suspect as a “loner” who had become reclusive since his father’s death in December last year. “He was someone you’d have a conversation with, but that changed after his dad died. He became very quiet,” Foster said. Another neighbour added: “He seemed calm and there is nothing to suggest anything unusual was happening.”
The arrest came after Widdecombe, 78, was found dead at her home in Haytor, Devon, on Thursday morning with serious injuries. Police now believe she was attacked the previous day, around 12.30pm. CCTV footage from near the suspect’s address appears to show a man putting a “wooden stick” into the passenger side of a red Vauxhall Corsa on Wednesday morning, according to The Telegraph. One neighbour told The Daily Mail the car was “filthy” and “moss-covered”.
Devon and Cornwall Police confirmed the 28-year-old was arrested at about 9pm on Saturday by officers from Counter Terrorism Policing North East and South Yorkshire Police. Assistant Chief Constable Matt Longman said there was “nothing to suggest it was politically motivated” and that police were not looking for anyone else. “At this point, we are not looking for anyone else in connection with this murder,” he told reporters. The force has received more than 120 reports following a public appeal.
A previous suspect, arrested earlier in the investigation, was released and is no longer part of the inquiry. Chief Constable James Vaughan praised the investigation as “British policing at its very best”, adding it had “been running at a lightning pace for 48 hours”.
Longman urged the public not to speculate about a motive, describing it as “unhelpful” and “distressing” for Widdecombe’s family, who are being supported by specialist officers. A heightened police presence will remain in the Haytor area in the coming weeks.
Widdecombe, a former Conservative minister and later a Reform UK spokesperson, was found dead at her Dartmoor home. Her personal driver of 10 years, Peter Horrell, laid flowers outside on Saturday, saying she “never mentioned any fear” for her safety. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage also visited the village, and the party’s MPs have been placed under round-the-clock security funded by Reform.
